Bicycle



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S.VALE. BIGYGLE.

' No. 472,005. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. VALE.

BICYCLE.

(No Model.)

No. 472,005. Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

mzi bese/s: ,EZQUZILE f)? X/W NITED STATES SAMUEL VALE, OF VVALSALL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE T. WARWICK, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,005, dated March 29, 1892. A Application filed November 21, 1891. Serial No. 412,633. (No model.) Patented in England November '7, 1 3 7,7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL VALE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Wal- S Lll, in the county of Stafford, England,have

5 invented new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain bearing date November 7, 1889, No. 17,740,) of which the following is a specification.

: This invention relates to improvements in Safety bicycles and particularly pertains to the construction of the frame. The advantages aimed at are lightness of the frame, securing at the same time, also, increased r strength, rigidity, and durability and decreased cost of production, and also improvement in the steering capabilities of the vehicle.

The invention consists in the construction of the frame and the combination of parts, all substantially as will hereinafter fully appear, and be set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the frame.

I will proceed to describe the improved bicycle-frame as specifically illustrated, and it will be seen in the drawings that the upper 0 continuation of the front fork forms the steering-post A, which is provided with two forwardly-projecting lugs a, between which is arranged the pillar B. This pillar is located in advance of and parallel with the steering- 3 5 post A, and its ends are pivotally engaged with the lugs a.

The portions constituting the frame form, practically, the boundaries of diamonds arranged substantially in parallel vertical planes. The double diamond frame consists, as to its upper part, of a length of comparatively small steel tube having its intermediate-portion formed as a loop b, which loosely or more or less widely encircles the steering- 5 post A and is connected to the pillar B either by being passed through and brazed at an eye (Z, formed in the pillar, or otherwise connected. The terminal portions f f of this length of tube are then extended rearwardly nearly or quite in parallelism about horizontally almost to the rear wheel, which is in a plane between said portions, and united by a transverse staypiece C. An integral continuation of said tube-terminals may thence extend downwardly and rearwardly in sections g g to a connection at the rear-wheel bearing, or they may be separate tubes or braces jointed by bolts, clips, or other adequate means of union. The double diamond frame consists, as to its lower part, of another length of similar tubing or material having its intermediate portion formed as a loop h, which also loosely encircles the steering-post A, and is similarly connected to the pillar B. The portions 73 towardeither end of the said lower length are then extended downwardly and rearwardly more or less nearly in parallelism to the usual position of the pedal mechanism, and a continuation of said terminals, either integrally there with or jointed sections 1' i, thence extend 7o somewhat upwardly to connection at the said rear-wheel bearing to complete the diamond. The dual diamond frame is preferably braced by having the tubes, bars, or rods k extending in the lines of or adjacent their transverse 7 5 diameters and connected at or near the vertices of their obtuse angles.

The horizontal transverse stay-piece between and connected at the upper corners of the duplicated diamond-frame portions 1s intermediately apertured or of ring form, through which the upper portion of the saddle-carrying standard D is passed and by which it is steadied.

The upper and lower members of each diamond-formed side section are united near the steering-post by the stays so, which preferably are tubes split longitudinally at their extremities, and the portions at both sides of the cleft bowed to encircle the frame members f and 0 h and brazed thereon.

The double diamond frame being connected to the pillar B, supported on the lugs a a, forwardly projected from the steering-post, exerts the peculiar action of a drag, tending to steady the forward end of the bicycle-frame, and overcome its sensitiveness and liability to wabble, improving the steering capabilities.

The steering-post A requires greater force imparted through the handle-bars to insure the deflection of the front wheel, and there fore shorter handlebars may be employed, as

such are more comfortable, as well as lighter, the machine, notwithstanding, being capable of keeping its course with remarkable facility. A frame for a velocipede embodying, as sub- 5 stantially exemplified in the accompanying drawings, separated side sections formed of tubing or light metallic members which constitute the boundaries of plane figures and which are suitably united by transversely [O intermediately-applied braces or ties, possesscs remarkable qualities of stiffness and durability, and a capacity for resisting certain warping or wrenching strains which have heretofore only been provided against by a I 5 gage of framing material which has necessarily been, in comparison with that of the present utilization, massive and ponderous.

I claim- 1. For abicyclc, the head having forwardlyextended supports and a double diamond frame, the same consisting as to its upper portion of a length of metallic tube or material having its intermediate portion of loop form loosely encircling the head proper and connected to the support in advance thereof and having the portions of said length toward its end extended rearwardly about horizontally almost to the rear wheel, and portions or sections downwardly and rearwardly extended to or near the rear-wheel bearing, and said frame as to its lower portion comprising a length of tubing or material which has its intermediate portion looped to encircle the head proper and connected to the said forward sup- 3 5 port thereof and thence downwardly and rearwardly extended and having sect-ions in continuation extended to a union with the upper portion of the frame, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with front and rear wheels, a steering-post A, and a pillar B, supported by the steering-post in advance thereof, of the double diamond frame looped at the front round the steering-post rigidly secured to the pillar in advance thereof and comprising two parallel diamond-shaped frame-sections connected by a transverse stay-piece C, which carries the seat-standard D, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with front and rear wheels, a steering-post A, and a pillar B, supported by the steering-post in advance thereof, of the two connected diamond-shaped framesections looped at the forward portion around the steering-post rigidly secured to the pillar and each composed of an upper approximate1y-horizontal member f, a downwardly and rearwardly extending member j, a rear member g and a rear lower member i, and a transverse stay-piece 0, connecting the junctions of the horizontal members fwith the rear members g and carrying the seat-standard D, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with front and rear wheels, a steering-post A, having forwardlyprojecting lugs a, and a pillar 13, arranged in front of and parallel with the steering-post and pivotally engaged with the lugs, of a double diamond frame formed with loops 1) h at the forward portion, which extend round the steering-post and are rigidly engaged with the pillar, said diamond frame being composed of two side sections, each comprising a horizontal member f, a downwardly and rearwardly extending member j, a rear upright section g, a rear lower section 2', a rod 7t, and a transverse stay-piece 0, connecting the diamond-shaped fi'amesections and carrying the seat-standard D, substantially as described.

5. In a Safety bicycle, the head embodying the head proper A, with the forwardly-extended lugs a a, and the pillar B, rotatably supported thereon, combined with the double diamond frame, which comprises upper and lower lengths of metallic rod or tubiugintermediately looped and each connected to said pillar encircling the part A of the head and having their terminal portions rearwardly extended to form sides of the double-diamondframe sections and having the rearwardlyconverging members, the horizontal transverse stay-piece O, and the transverse diameter braces 7t is, substantially as described and shown.

SAMUEL VALE. Witnesses:

FREDERICK WARWICK, ERNEST HARKER. 

